Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1887-10-21
ADDRESS
OF THE REPUBLICAN STATE
COM MITTEE.
A Startling State Issue.

JHEADoT'Rs REPUBLICAN STATE COMMITTEE
/ CONTINENTAL HOTEL, PHILA., OCT T. lso'
To tie Cui=ens OF Pennsylvania
The Republican State Committee
has no. in recent years felt it neces-
sary to issue the customary address
to the members of the party through
cut the State 1t has preferred, in
each campaign, to perfect the organi-
zation and to rely on that fer the
direction of en army so great of mum
hers and so fine of discipline that it
is by many regarded as invlnci-
Bile
Now, however. an emergency is
presented which If not bravely met,
may prove far-reaching in its conse-
queuces, one which threatens good
government throughout the State, its
municipalities, and may lead to a
complete revolution 10 previously ac-
cepted policies employed in the direc-
tion Of tie general government.
For the first time in the history of
PENNSYLVANIA, and so far as we know
in the history Of any other
State, regular political headquarters
have been opened by privileged
business interest-by the united Ii
quor interests, comprising in the
order OF their wealth and power
Brewers, Distillers, Wholesale and
Retail Dealers. With Philadelphia
and Pittsburg before US as examples,
those not fully informed may ques-
tion this classification as to wealth
and power, and ask why the six thou
sand saloon keepers Of Philadeiphia
and the two thousand of Allegheny
are not more powerful than the
smaller number OF brewers and whole
sale dealers? The explanation is in
the fact that nearly all of the larger
brewing and wholesale houses practi-
cally own the majority of tie saloons
in these cities. Fully four thousand
saloon keepers in Philadelphia and
twelve hundred in Allegheny are SIM
ply agents under contract to sell for
employing brewers and wholesalers.
They pay high prices and live upon
commissions.
How strong then is the motive OF
these men to seek the repeal OF the
High License lawl A brewer under
the old law had to pay for the licenses
of all of his agents and he could sup
ply the bonds OF all of them. A
small sum passed into the State treas
ury. The same brewer would now
have to pay $5O0 in each case for like
privileges, four-ffths of which
amount goes into the local treasures
to relieve local taxation. His agents
must now look elsewhere for bonds
men, the dealer being forbidden by
the law to go upon the bond The
first effect is o hazardous outlay to
the actual keeper Of many saloons.
The second effect is to make hereto
fore ID pendent saloon keepers inde'
pendent, for if they can get bonds in
$4,000, they can at least borrow $500
with which to pay for their own Ii
censes, ard when they can do both of
these things they cannot be compelled
to take any and every quality Of Ii
quor thrust upon them at prices die
tated by employers, but can buy ct
prices suggested by the lew OF sup
ply and demand. The brewers dis
tillers and Wholesale dealers. who are
directly responsible for this morbid
growth under an imperfect regulation,
proclaim unto each other and the
trade, that High License is worse
than Prohibition, and in their at
tempts to convince others of this fact
they have circulated far and wide the
impression, and so well circulated az
to make it a deep-seated prejudice,
that their only battle goes to the re-
strictions which it imposes upon fper-
soDal liberty.
They declare that under the act the
bonds are entered of record, as in no
other forms Of public sureties. This
is not true in fact; the bonds are only
entered when there has been con-
viction for violation of the law, and
this has been the rule under all pre-
vious laws They say further, that
the forbiddiDg of one dealer to 60 up
on the bond of another is an attack
upon their personal liberty. Is this
true? Is public officer, given fran
chise or prerogative by the law, pei
mitted to supply the bonds of his fel-
low officers? And if it were the rule
to do this, what an absence of respon
sibility there would be in our public
officers. The sellers of liquor are
privileged under the la" to do what
other citizens cannot do, and they are
bound to accept the conditions of the
law. Fancy that observance of the
law, in letter and spirit, which per-
mits single brewer to stand as the
bondsman for one hundred saloons in
the penal sum of two hundred thou
sand dollars! If that feature of the
High License law which prevents
this thing is an Interference with per-
sonsl liberty it is form of interference
made imperative as the best means to
check growing abuse, aud grow
ing power which, as vii! be shown
farther along, seeks the full control OF
the law.
1t is claimed that High License in
fringes personal liberty by forbidding
anyone to give liquor away upon
Sunday. This feature applies not to
the private person, but to the dealer,
and it applies to him solely for the
purpose of preventing evasion Of the
Sunday laws. The Act simply regu
lates he sale Of liquors, and applies
to dealers. The same is true as to
minors; dealers may not give or sell
to them, but no law forbids the father
who is private citizen. from giving
beer or wine or brandy to bis own
children-all assertions OF the orators
of the Personal Liberty Leagues to
the contrary Notwithstanding.
If there are unnecessary and pure
ly vexatious features in the law, q
well.thinking Legislature will remove
them, without political alliance or
agitation.
Most cf the orators who sedulously
misrepresent the law, are employed
and paid from funds which comes
from the Headquarters of the Brew
era Association. at ll2l Arch St.,